Gabriel (missile)

Gabriel
An IAI Gabriel Anti-ship missile
Type	Anti-ship missile
Service history
In service	1962
Used by	See operators
Production history
Manufacturer	Israel Aerospace Industries
Variants	developed from Luz (missile)
Specifications
Weight	Mark I: 430 kg (950 lb) Mark II: 522 kg (1,151 lb) Mark III: 560 kg (1,230 lb) Mark III A/S: 590 kg (1,300 lb) Mark IV: 960 kg (2,120 lb)
Length	Mark I: 3.35 m (11.0 ft) Mark II: 3.36 m (11.0 ft) Mark III: 3.75 m (12.3 ft) Mark III A/S: 3.78 m (12.4 ft) Mark IV: 4.7 m (15 ft)
Diameter	Mark I/ II /III / IIIA/S: 330 mm (13 in) Mark IV: 440 mm (17 in)
Warhead	Mark II: 100 kg (220 lb) Mark III / IIIA/S: 150 kg (330 lb) Mark IV: 240 kg (530 lb)
Wingspan	Mark I / II:1.35 m (4 ft 5 in) Mark III:1.32 m (4 ft 4 in) Mark IIIA/S1.08 m (3 ft 7 in) Mark IV:1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Operational range	Mark I: 20 km (12 mi) Mark II:6–36 km (3.7–22.4 mi) Mark III:36 km (22 mi) Mark IIIA/S:60 km (37 mi) Mark IV:200 km (120 mi)
Flight altitude	2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Guidance system	Mark I / II:Semi-Active Radar Mark III / IIIA/S / IV: Active Radar

Gabriel missiles, created by Israel Aerospace Industries, are a range of anti-ship missiles that use the technique of sea skimming, created in response to an attack on an Israeli warship in 1967. The Mark IV version is in service with the Israeli Navy while other versions are in service with navies around the world.

On October 21, 1967, four Styx missiles sank the destroyer INS Eilat, which was patrolling along the northern shores of the Sinai. Forty-seven Israeli sailors and officers were killed or went missing in action and 100 were injured. The loss of the ship prompted the Israeli navy to ask Israel Aerospace Industries to accelerate the development of an anti-ship missile, which had begun in 1958 with the Luz (or Lutz) program.

Faced with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems's anxiety to develop a new guidance system, Shlomo Arel asked Israel Aerospace Industries to take over the program by recruiting Ori Even-Tov, a former Rafael engineer. Even-Tov suggested dropping the guidance joystick approach used by the Luz, and instead proposed the development of an autonomous guidance system which would allow the missile to seek its objective, even in bad weather or bad visibility. He further proposed using an altimeter, allowing the missile to fly some meters over the surface of the sea, making it difficult to detect and allowing it to hit the target just above the waterline. A radar installed on the ship had to guide the missile, while the altimeter would keep the missile in sea-skimming mode.

The development of the Gabriel for the Israeli Navy began in 1962, before being first shown to the public in 1970. It was touted to be the world's first operational sea-skimming missile, and saw extensive action during the Yom Kippur War.

The Gabriel Mk 2, an improved version of Gabriel, was created in 1972 and entered service in 1976. It was also built under license in Taiwan, as the Hsiung Feng 1 and South Africa under the name Skerpioen (Afrikaans for Scorpion).